Jeff Barker, a dear friend, gifted designer, and all-around great guy, was involved in a near-fatal motorcycle accident on October 2, 2008. Please join Wirestone and friends as we toast Jeff’s new lease on life with a great night of music, a silent auction and tons of fun.

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In this role you will:Be hands-on developing and implementing web content and designWork collaboratively with our creative department and the programming team and take ideas and creative designs to fully working HTML/CSS templatesManage production and site maintenanceBuild sites with CSS only layouts, semantic HTML as well as utilizing JavaScript and AJAXExperience of SEO issues and CMS environments would be an advantageProvide advice and guidance best practices in web technologies and emerging trends

Today, DIRECTV was running radio spots playing off of the fact that DISH Network was no longer broadcasting the local CBS station (in this case KBCI), which meant no CSI, Survivor, NFL Sunday Football, etc. It wouldn’t surprise me if similar spots are currently running in other markets where Fisher has stations, such as Lewiston, Idaho Falls, Portland, Seattle, Eugene, and others.

With the exception of Portland and Seattle (ABC), all of Fisher’s television markets are CBS affiliates, which likely made production of two spots relatively easy — the version I heard was generic enough that it could be used in all CBS-related markets.

So let’s look at the situation:

You’ve got DISH subscribers, many of whom are upset about losing a local channel.

Those subscribers are accustomed to paying a monthly fee for the satellite television service, so no objections to overcome regarding the service or costs (assuming comparable cost).

To those customers (and others aware of the situation), DIRECTV offers what appears to be a viable alternative to appease those who are upset, and have moved quickly enough that they may be able to sway customers into a decision based, in part, on frustration and emotion.

Will be very interesting to see how this all plays out. Credit does have to go do DIRECTV for moving quickly and taking advantage of the situation/opportunity. Timely and effective, to say the least.

The ACLU (National) is challenging designers to “design a poster that depicts the transformation of America into a country that holds its leaders accountable; that strives to restore eroded civil liberties; that works to change policies that are unconstitutional.”

The winner will receive a $500 cash prize, and will have their design featured as part of the ACLU’s national campaign. Additionally, the ACLU intends to hold an event in Washington DC in January featuring the top designs.

Entries are due by Sunday, January 4, 2009. Full details about the competition are available on the ACLU’s Restore America website.